Infant plane travel

[Hannathy]

United 232 crashed in Souix City with 3 lap babies. All three parents walked off the plane WITHOUT their babies. Only one baby was rescued from an overhead compartment by a stranger who reentered the burning plane after hearing his cries.

This was also when they had parents put the baby on the floor! (Something I never would have done in any case) but they did have them put them on the floor and they became missiles!

They have learned since this crash many, many years ago and now you hold the baby facing you against your chest. which would be how the child on the Hudson crash would have been held. Statistically probably as many infants survived the Sioux City crash as adults, many adults perished in that crash also.

 

[ilovemonk]

Well, having just got back from a trip and seeing 2 lap babies with major turbulence during our flight, I would encourage you to buy your little one a seat. The looks of horror of those parents will always be embedded in my mind.

Better to be safer. Don't let your baby be a statistic.

 

[DisneyClown]

I am facing this same decision for my daughter for our trip next summer, and I decided that if I can afford a trip to WDW then I can afford a plane seat for my child. I'm not going to skimp on my childs safety just to go on vacation! Hope that helps!

 

[dhardawa]

Max came to me as a foster child when he was two days old. We had had our Disney trip planned for months before he arrived. About two weeks after he came home and I knew he was going to be around for the Disney trip, I called the travel agent and attempted to add him a seat. The plane was full both ways. So, I had no choice but to hold him. He slept the entire two hours there and back. He was six weeks on the way down and seven weeks on the way back.

Given a choice, I would have had him in his own seat though. A foster child wasn't something I could plan for months in advance. He has since flown two other times (10 months and 18 months) and I wouldn't have dreamed of not buying him his own seat.

 

[natnelliesmom]

Well... I called Delta and the flights are full both ways.
It is a short flight- 2 hours from CT to Orlando. I am not sure I am 100% comfortable- but we'll do our best to make it work.

The operator did say that we can bring the infant seat and hope that there is a free seat on the flight when we check in- we can always gate check it if there isn't.
I usually carry my DD in a sling- so I will wear that and hope that I can just keep her in it.

Our pediatrician recommended that I breast feed the baby during takeoff and landing- something I can't do if she's in her seat anyway.

A friend of ours lent us a Baby B'air harness. It's a vest that your baby wears and you thread your own lap belt through it. It says it's an approved device, so I will also bring that and see how it goes. It's small so if they won't let us use it- it's not a big deal to keep it in my purse.

Thank you for the helpful advice- as for the people who refer to babies as "cabin missiles"- your candidness was not appreciated.

Thanks again!
-Sarah

 

[Cedarmom]

A friend of ours lent us a Baby B'air harness. It's a vest that your baby wears and you thread your own lap belt through it. It says it's an approved device, so I will also bring that and see how it goes. It's small so if they won't let us use it- it's not a big deal to keep it in my purse.

Thank you for the helpful advice- as for the people who refer to babies as "cabin missiles"- your candidness was not appreciated.

Thanks again!
-Sarah

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. I also didn't invent the saying.

You've done your best. Bring the seat and hopefully you can use it. If not, chances are that your flight will be nice and smooth and it won't be an issue.

The FAA says you can't use the baby B'air during taxi, takeoff and landing. Some airlines go further than that and say you can't use them at all. I was once accosted and almost had my Ergo taken away until I showed them that I was putting it in the overhead bin.

Again, I'm sorry. I get passionate about this but should have used better wording.

 

[lyv4him]

That is a great question. We are traveling with our 22 month old for the first time this Sept., and we decided to opt for a seat. We figured our comfort on the plane and his safety was priority flying for the first time. I am not against lap children either. It is what you personally decide. I like the fact that I can also use the carseat that I am bringing for him to use on the plane also to use for the car rental. My son is also very friendly and has a great personality; however I want him strapped so he doesn't get in peoples' faces....ha ha. If you do decide to opt for a seat, here are a couple of tips: buy some cheap toys to distract him with, buy color wonder markers and coloring book (absolutely mess free), bring some books, bring some snacks, etc.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[stacy6552]

This was also when they had parents put the baby on the floor! (Something I never would have done in any case) but they did have them put them on the floor and they became missiles!

They have learned since this crash many, many years ago and now you hold the baby facing you against your chest. which would be how the child on the Hudson crash would have been held. Statistically probably as many infants survived the Sioux City crash as adults, many adults perished in that crash also.

Statistics or not the families of all 3 babies walked off the plane, walked off, without their babies. Had the children been secured, cahnces are they would have been safely removed from the plane as well. Holding your infant against your chest is not a new technique that was learned from United 232. What has come form that crash is the education of parents and the constant lobbying by the Flight Attendants Asso, to require that infants under 2 be required to be secured in FAA approved carseats on planes.

My apologies to the original posted for contributing to a debate on your thread, but I just can't let that post go and have a new mom with the same question you had read that and think that holding your child against your chest is some kind of new and imporved safe way to get a child through an air emergency.

 

[Hannathy]

Statistics or not the families of all 3 babies walked off the plane, walked off, without their babies. Had the children been secured, cahnces are they would have been safely removed from the plane as well. Holding your infant against your chest is not a new technique that was learned from United 232. What has come form that crash is the education of parents and the constant lobbying by the Flight Attendants Asso, to require that infants under 2 be required to be secured in FAA approved carseats on planes.

My apologies to the original posted for contributing to a debate on your thread, but I just can't let that post go and have a new mom with the same question you had read that and think that holding your child against your chest is some kind of new and imporved safe way to get a child through an air emergency.

You stated that they had to put babies on the floor in that crash and 2 perished-unfortunately with many older passengers also, not many safely walked off that flight! It isn't as if the babies were the only victims, and I said that wasn't done any more and hadn't been for years, not that it was a "new" safety measure. Especially since it has been at least 20 some years. Part of the problem with that crash was the children were unsecured, now compare that to the recent crash where the child was held.

Of course ultimately they would be safer totally secured but I would also be safer driving to work in a tank but you can't do everything in life in the absolutely safest way. there is a compromise. I also know I'm not reading, and you know it would be covered if any or even a few babies were being hurt in air due to not being in a car seat. So statistically it isn't significant.
Thousands of babies fly every year being held without incident, and do survive crashes, and some babies don't even tho they are in carseats, so it really comes down to what the parents feel comfortable doing, everyone has to make their own choice without being badgered.

 

[stacy6552]

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;108/5/1218

http://www.saferidenews.com/SRNDNN/...ravelwithBabiesToddlers/tabid/88/Default.aspx

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/08/24/earlyshow/living/ConsumerWatch/main638098.shtml

http://stonyfield.typepad.com/babybabble/2008/09/it-could-cost-e.html

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20080808/dd_mcgee18.art.htm